Thermostat valve operating mechanism for absorption refrigerating apparatus



1944- N. ERLAND AF KLEEN 2,340,886

THERMOSTAT VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 13, 1940 ZSheets-Sheet l M TTORNEY.

N. ERLAND AF KLEEN THERMOSTAT Feb. 8, 1944. 2,340,886

7 VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR JfZf 5 /4722 g [166% MATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERMOSTAT NISM FOR APPARATUS Nils Erland ai' Kleen, Stockholm, or to Kleen Refrigerator, Inc.,

VALVE OPERATING MECHA- ABSORPTION REFRIGERATING Sweden, assign- Hoboken, N. 1.,

a corporation of Delaware Application June 13, 1940, Serial No. 340,291 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-5) In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the Y intermittent type, the boiler absorber is intermittently heated (expulsion phase) by any suitable exterior heating means, and alternately cooled (absorption phase) by a cooling fluid circulating through a closed system. It therefore becomes necessary to provide automatic valve mechanisms for controlling the flow of the cooling fluid during the two phases of operation of the refrigerating apparatus. Heretofore various automatic valve mechanisms have been used for this purpose, but due to their slowness of operation and complicated structure, the efilciency of the refrigerating apparatus was materially reduced.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages and to provide a valve operating mechanism which is simple in construction and quick acting, thereby overcoming the disadvantages in the devices heretofore. used.

The invention resides in providing a valve operating mechanism disposed. within the closed cooling fluid system of the absorption refrigerating apparatus and consists of a bi-metalllc diaphragm of thesnap-action type movable to two positions to open and close, respectively, the

valve or valves in the cooling fluid supply lines, said bi-metallic diaphragm being responsive ,to the direct heat applied to the boiler absorber;

the diaphragm also being perforated to permit free communication of the cooling fluid from one side of the diaphragm to the other to equal ize the pressure on both sides thereof.

The present invention also contemplates a valve operating mechanism of this character for use in connection with absorption refrigerating apparatus employing two units intermittently and alternately operable in the expulsion and absorbing phases, and wherein the flow of cooling fluid to the respective absorbers is controlled by a common valve operating mechanism. Furthermore the valve operating mechanism may be located at any point in the cooling system but responsive to heat supplied'to any one of the v boiler absorbers.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter, embodiments thereof being shown as examples in the drawings and finally pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, showing a single refrigerating unit and a cooling system for the absorber and including one form of valve operating mechanism con templated by the present invention disposed below the absorber;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section through the valve operating mechanism shown in Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view partly in section showing an absorption refrigerating apparatus including two units adapted to be cooled by a common fluid system and showing the improved double valve operating mechanism in the circuit of the cooling system for selectively controlling the circulation to the respective absorbers:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail of the valve operating mechanism applied to amodified form of valve assembly;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the mechanism applied to another form of valve assembly;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a further modifled form of valveassembly;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section showing a valve and valve operating mechanism similar to that but disposed adjacent the of the boiler absorber, and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to'Fig. 3 but wherein each boiler absorber is cooled by a separate fluid system and showing two valves and their operating mechanisms, one for each cooling system, said mechanisms being disposed horizontally across the top of the respective boiler absorbers.

In the drawings, referring more particularly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated diagrammatically an abso ption refrigerating apparatus having the usual boiler absorber I0 containing the absorbent, a condenser H, and evaporator l2, all connected together by suitable -pipes or conduits to form a closed circulating system (or primary circuit) for the refrigerant. is heated from any suitable exterior source, such for example as a gas burner ii to drive out the absorbed refrigerant from the what is known as the expulsion phase of the unit. During the absorption phase'of the apparatus the source of heat is shut oil by any suitable thertop and to one side -mostat means (not shown) and the boiler abillustrated in Fig. 1.

The boiler absorber boiler absorber in v a secondary circuit formed by an inwardly spaced jacket M in the boiler absorber lo, a condenser l6 and a collecting tank I6, all connected together by suitable pipes.

interposed in this secondary circuit is the improved valve operating mechanism forming the subject-matter of the present invention, and consists as shown in Fig. 2 of a valve casing i1, provided with an inner circumferentially slotted ring l8 adapted to support the peripheral edges of a thermostat member in the form of a bimetallic diaphragm disc is of the snap-action type. In order to maintain the pressure equal on both sides of this diaphragm, openings 20 are provided to permit the free passage of cooling fluid from one side of the diaphragm to the other. A red 2| extends through an opening in the central portion of the disc |9 and is secured therein by means of a collar 22, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby said rod will move with the disc. One end of the rod is guided in the bore of a spider or yoke member 23 in the casing H and the o p site end of the rod terminates in a valve 24 which, in the form illustrated, is preferably cone-shaped and cooperates with a valve seat formed in the partition 26 supported in the valve casing l1.

Surrounding the valve casing l'l adjacent the slotted ring I8 is a heat conductor 26 which has an extension or projection lying in close proximity to the burner i3 so that the heat of the flame will be conducted to the bi-metallic disc I! to control the operation of the latter. It will of course be understood that the structure and composition of the disc l9 are predetermined so that when heated, said disc will snap intoone position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to close valve 24, and when the temperature drops a few degrees, said disc will snap into its other position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to open valve 24.

Having described one form of thermostat valve for controlling the cooling fluid employed to cool the boiler absorber of an intermittent absorption refrigerating system, its operation is as follows:

Assuming that the burner I3 has just been turned on for the expulsion phase operation of the refrigerating unit, the heat transmitted through conductor 26 to the disc I! has caused the latter to snap to its full line position in Fig. 2 to close valve 24. During this period of operation of the refrigerating unit, the refrigerant is driven out of the boiler absorber Ill, passes to the condenser II and is delivered to the evaporator l2 (Fig. 1). When the burner I3 is turned off at the end of the expulsion phase by any suitable means (not shown), the temperature drop through the conductor 26 causes disc l9 to snap to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 to open valve 24 and permit the circulation of the cooling fluid through the secondary system to cool the boiler absorber l0. During this period, the refrigerant evaporating in the evaporator l2 will return to the boiler absorber M to be absorbed by the absorbent, and when the burner I3 is again turned on for the next expulsion phase operation of the unit, the heat transmitted through conductor 26 to the disc l9 will again snap the latter to the full line position to repeat the cycle just described.

Referring to Fig. 3 there is shown the improved valve operating mechanism applied to an absorption refrigerating apparatus operatin with two units whose boiler absorbers are intermittently and alternately heated for the expulsion phase and afterwards cooled for the ab orption phase. In this form of my invention the refrigerant circulates through separate closed circuits formed by boiler absorbers 30, 30a. condensers 3|, 3|a, and evaporators 32, 32a located in the top of an ordinary ice-box provided with the'usual'ice-trays 33. The cooling fluid system for the respective boiler absorbers circulates through the cooling jackets 34, 34a, condensers 35, 350, common collecting tank 66 and a common valve chamber 31. In this form of my invention the bi-metallic diaphragm l9 is disposed centrally in the valve chamber 61 and the valve rod 39 carried thereby has valve members 40 and 4| on each end of the rod. These oppositely disposed valves 46 and 4 cooperate with valve seats provided in the side walls of the valve chamber 31 to control the circulation of the cooling fluid to the respective boiler absorber Jackets 34, 34a. As in the case of the form illustrated in Fig. 2, the bi-metallic disc diaphragm I! has openings 26 to permit free communication of the cooling fluid from one side of the diaphragm to the other, and the disc is actuated by the heat transmitted through the conductor 26 which encircles the valve chamber 31 and has a projection extending in close proximity to the burner l3 of the boiler absorber 30.

The gas supplied to the burners l3 and Na in this form of my invention is regulated by a suitable double valve mechanism 43 controlled by impulse bodies 44 and 46 in heat relationship with the respective boiler absorbers at and 30a.

The operation of the apparatus just described is as follows:

During the heating of the boiler absorber 66 by burner I3 for the expulsion phase operation of the unit shown in the left hand side of Fig, 8. the heat transmitted from said burner to the disc I9 through the conductor 26 will maintain valve 46 closed and valve 4| open to permit the circulation of the cooling liquid from tank 36 to the jacket 34a to cool boiler absorber 30a for the absorption phase of the unit shown at the right hand side of the figure. When the desired amount of heat has been supplied to the boiler absorber 30, the valve mechanism 46 will be shifted by the impulse body 44 to shut off the burner l3 and turn on burner I311. The temperature drop through the conductor 26 cccasioned by shutting off the burner l3 will cause disc Hi to snap to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, closing valve 4| and opening valve 40 to permit the circulation of the cooling liquid from the tank 36 to the jacket 64 to cool the boiler absorber 36 for the absorption phase of the corresponding unit. As soon as the desired temperature is attained in boiler absorber 36a.

the impulse body 46 will operate to shift the valve mechanism 43 to the position shown in Fig. 3, shutting oil burner Ila and turning on burner l3, and the heat transmitted through conductor 28 will then snap disc I6 to its full llile position, closing valve 46 and opening valve It will thus be seen that in this form of the invention, the disc l6 responsive to the heat supplied to only one boiler absorber selectively controls the circulation of the cooling medium to a plurality ofboiler absorbers of respective units operating in alternate phase relation to one another.

In the modified form of valve mechanism shown in Fig. 4 the bi-metallic disc l9 actuated by the conductor 26 operates a valve rod 46 whose opposite ends are bent and support valve members 38 and 42 adapted to slide against the inner wall of the chamber 3'! to control the flow of cooling fluid in the conduits leading from the chamber to the respective boiler absorber Jackets (not shown), and the operation of this device will be obvious without further description.

In Fig. the bi-metallic disc IS in the casing 31 in thermal contact with the conductor 26 operates a modified form of valve disposed in an extension 310 of the casing 31. This valve comprises an enlarged body member 31b secured to one end of the valve rod 2| and is slidable in the bore of the casing extension 3111. A spring 49 interposed between the end of the bore and the valve body 31b normally urges the valve toward its closed position and the disc l9 operates against the tension of this spring to open the valve. The operation of this form of my invention will be obvious from the foregoing description thereof.

In that form illustrated in Fig. 6, the bi-metallic disc l9 disposed in the chamber 31 in thermal contact with the conductor 26 operates the rod II which in turn is pivotally connected to the upper end of a valve operating lever 50. In this modification the valves do not operate in the chamber 3'! but are disposed in an auxiliary alve casing Si in communication with said chamber 31 by means of a central coupling member 52 and by-pass conduits 53 and B4 leading from the chamber 31 on each side of the disc is into opposite sides of the auxiliary casing II. The valve operating lever 50 is pivoted on a suitable transverse pin or the like 55 supported in the coupling member 52, its lower end terminating in a ball member 56 which cooperates with a complementary socket formed on the upper portion of a valve block 51 slidably mounted in the auxiliary casing 6|. Bypass conduits 53 and 54 leading from opposite sides of chamber 31 terminate in each side of the auxiliary casing 5| adjacent the upper portion thereof, and the outlet pipes 68 and 59 for the cooling fluid leading to the respective absorbers extend from opposite sides of the lower portion of casing 6|.

One side of the valve block II has a pair .of valves 80 and 60a adapted to cooperate with respective valve seats formed in the casing 5| ad- Jacent the conduits i3 and Bl, respectively, andthe opposite side of the valve block 51 carries a similar pair of valves II and Ma cooperating with respective valve seats in the casing for the conduits to pipes 54 and II, respectively. Thus,

in this modified form of the invention. two sets of valves are operated by the disc II and the eluding boiler absorbers 8., a, condensers II, 31a and evaporators 32, 32a forming two closed circulating systems for the refrigerant. The apparatus also includes two secondary cooling circuits comprising boiler absorber jackets 34, 34a, condensers "Jon, and collecting tanks 84, 380, connected by the usual pipes and providing two closed systems for the circulation of a cooling fluid. In each of these closed cooling systems there is interposed a valve and valve operating mechanism in accordance with the present invention and each comprises a casing 63, 63a, in which is disposed a bi-metallic disc '4, 84a, operating a valve rod II, "a provided at one end with a valve 84, Ola cooperating with a respective valve seat to control the flow of cooling fluid to the boiler absorber Jackets 34 and 34a, respectively.

In this form of the invention the casings l3 and 6311 are arranged transversely across the upper portion of the respective boiler absorbers 34 and 34a with the bi-metallic discs 64 and 64a in the path of travel of the hot gases passing upwardly through the stack in each boiler absorber, thereby eliminating the use of the conductor 28. The operation of this device is believed obvious without the necessity of further explanation.

It will thus be seen that with the present in vention the supply of cooling fluid to the boiler absorber or boiler absorbers will be effectively controlled by the bi-metallic disc arrangement in thermal contact either with the flame of the burner for the absorber, or the hot gases of com. bustion from said burners. Furthermore, the bi-metallic disc is disposed entirely within the cooling system and operates in the cooling fluid of the system, and due to the apertures or openings provided in said disc, the pressure on both sides thereof will be equalized so that said disc will not operate against any pressure.

While in the foregoing description reference has been made to absorptionand absorbent, it is to be understood that these terms are meant to include adsorption and adsorbent, and that the valves and valve operating mechanism hereinabove described will operate with equal efllciency in an adsorbent syste From the foregoing it is believed that the con-' struction and advantages of the present invention may readily be understood by those skilled in the art without further description, and that numerous .changes may be made in the details I disclosed without departing from the spirit of operation of the entire assembly is the same as Fig. l and includes a valve casing 11a in which is transversely disposed the bi-metallic disc Isa, operating valve rod 2la, which carries the conical valve member 24a cooperating with the valve seat formed in the casing. However, in this form, the device is disposed to one side of the boiler absorber IO and above the same, and the conductor 28a for the bi-metallic disc is in thermal contact with the due 82 for the hot gases from the burner l3 instead of being adjacent'the flame of the gas burner. The operation of this device is the same as previously explained in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

The refrigerating apparatus shown in Fig. 8 is similar to that heretofore described in connection with Fig. 3 and consists of two units inthe invention as set out in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the Y intermittent'type including a plurality of units cooled during the corresponding generating and absorbing periods thereof; the combination with means for intermittently heating each of said boiler absorbers in alternate phase relation to one another, and fluid cooling means for cooling said boiler absorbers; of valve means for controlling the flow of cooling fluid to each of said boiler absorbers. and a bi-metallic thermostat member in; thermal transfer relation to the heat supplied by said heating means to only one of said boiler absorbers and operatively connected to said valve means to control the cooling of each of said boiler absorbers phase relation to the heating thereof.

intermittently and in ,2. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent type including a plurality of units operating in alternate phase relation to one another, each unit, having a boiler absorber adapted to be intermittently heated and alternately cooled during the generating and absorbing periods, respectively, thereof, and means for intermittently heating each of said boiler absorbers in alternate phase relation to one another; the combination with a secondary cooling system for the circulation of a cooling medium in heat exchange relation with each of said boiler absorbers to cool the latter during the absorbing periods of the corresponding units; of valve means for controlling the flow of the cooling medium to each of said boiler absorbers, and a bi-metallic thermostat disc in said system, in thermal transfer relation to heat supplied by said heating means to only one of said boiler absorbers and operatively connected to said valve means to control the cooling of eachof said boiler absorbers intermittently and in phase relation to the heating thereof, said disc having openings therein to permit passage of the cooling fluid from one side thereof to the other.

3. -In refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type including combined generating and absorbing means, conduit means for a cooling fluid to cool said combined generating and absorbing means, and valve means movable between two operating positions to control the flow of cooling fluid through said conduit means; the combination of a chamber in fluid communication with said conduit means, a bi-metalllc snap-action disc in said chamber operatively connected to said valve means and adapted to buckle to either side of a plane under variation of temperature to move said valve means from one operating position to the other and vice versa, and a source of heat exterior to said chamber and operable to heat said disc intermittently.

4. In refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type including two units operating in phase relation to one another and each having a boiler absorber; the combination with means for heating each of said boiler absorbers intermittently and in phase relation to each other, means for cooling each of said boiler absorbers, and valve means movable between one operating position and another to control the cooling of each of said boiler absorbers intermittently and in phase relation to each other; of thermostat means in thermal transfer relation to the heat supplied by said heating means to only one of said boiler absorbers and adapted to buckle to either side of a plane under variation of temperature to move said valve means from one operating position to the other and vice versa and thereby control the cooling of each of said boilerabsorbers intermittently in phase relationship to one another and in phase relation to the heating thereof.

5. In refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type including combined gen-- erating and absorbing means, and conduit means for a cooling fluid to cool said combined generating and absorbing means: the combination of a valve chamber in fluid communication with said conduit means; a snap-action diaphragm dividsaid chamber and operating to heat said diaphragm intermittently.

6. In refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent absorption type including a plurality of units operating in phase relation to one another and each having a boiler absorber adapted to be heated intermittently and alternately cooled during the generating and absorbing periods, respectively: the combination with means for heating each of said boiler absorbers intermittently and in phase relation to one another, and a closed circuit conduit for the circulation of a cooling fluid in heat exchange relation with each of saiii boiler absorbers; of thermostat valve means in thermal transfer relation to the heat supplied to only one of said boiler absorbers for controlling the flow of cooling fluid in heat exchange relation with each of said boiler absorbers intermittently in phase relation to one another and in phase relation to the heating thereof.

NILS ERLAND AF KLEEN. 

